Chapter 285: 284. The Dao Body, The Five Grand Pre-Celestial

Chapter 285: 284. The Dao Body, The Five Grand Pre-Celestial

"Zhuo Qing Shan, is there something peculiar about that place? Do we know why the people of the Jiuli tribe appeared there?"

Regarding Ye Liang's encounter, Lei Jun remained somewhat indifferent. Although there was no further conflict between the Celestial Master's Mansion and the Cangzhou Ye Clan at the moment, the relationship between the two parties could undoubtedly not be described as friendly.

Lu Fang's attitude towards Lei Jun was, therefore, not surprising to him. "The reason is still unclear at the moment. According to Master Ye of the Shu Mountain Sect, he arrived a step too late. Although he escaped unharmed, he was unable to rescue Ye Wendon in time."

Lei Jun asked, "Has my master, as well as the Prince of Xiang and General Shangguan, received this news?"

Lu Fang replied, "The Prince of Xiang has already rushed to the area near Zhuo Qing Shan. The General and your sect's Elder also know about the situation and are on their way here."

"In that case, I shall also make my way there to meet with the Prince of Xiang and General Lu," said Lei Jun.

The black mist covering the northern foothills of Zhuo Qing Shan had enveloped the surrounding mountains but showed no signs of spreading further outward.

However, the mist swirled and churned, filled with a fierce and ominous aura, resembling an abyss.

As Ye Dongming had said, he had arrived a step too late and only saw Ye Liang escaping for his life.

The powerful Jiuli experts within the black mist had left Ye Dongming with no time to rescue Ye Liang.

Although they had different paths and did not collaborate, Ye Dongming still felt a sense of unity against the common enemy when facing the people of Jiuli.

Fortunately, even though it was night, the Jiuli expert did not pursue them far from the black mist. With his injuries, Ye Dongming managed to retrieve Ye Liang's remains and flee far from the black mist.

Upon receiving the news, Prince Zhang Luo of Xiang immediately rushed to the vicinity of Zhuo Qing Shan to meet with Ye Dongming.

Subsequently, Lu Fang and the others arrived one after another, and a representative from the Western Regions' Buddhist sect also came.

After Lei Jun arrived, he finally saw the clan elder of the Cangzhou Ye Clan, Ye Liang, once again.

However, to be precise, he only saw half of him.

This Upper Heaven Grand Scholar of the Confucian Divine Archery lineage was now only left with half of his body.

From the waist down, he had completely vanished.

The breath of life had completely disappeared from Ye Liang's body.

On the contrary, the wound at his waist seemed to have a life of its own, as the flesh and blood squirmed and writhed.

And this writhing mass of flesh was attempting to continue its upward invasion of Ye Liang's remaining half-body.

It was only because of Prince Zhang Luo's suppression with his righteous qi that the writhing flesh was unable to spread further.

Lei Jun understood upon seeing this; it was similar to the methods of the Blood River lineage of the Witchcraft Sect…

He looked at Prince Zhang Luo, who nodded slightly. "The same person who was at You Ning Lake is likely behind this."

When the black mist erupted at You Ning Lake, the first to come into contact with the people of Jiuli was not a cultivator from the Great Tang, but rather Fu Dongsen of the Human Dao Nation.

After a brief encounter, Fu Dongsen did not linger and quickly retreated.

Afterward, when Upper Officer Yunbo, Zhang Luo, and the others inspected the traces left behind, they found that the powerful Jiuli witch who had made a move possessed formidable strength comparable to a Human Tribe's Nine Heavens Great Witch. They also followed the Blood River lineage and had an extremely resilient physical body.

The person who appeared at Zhuo Qing Shan that night was likely the same person, judging from their cultivation and methods.

Lei Jun furrowed his brows as if learning about this for the first time, and fell into deep thought. "But why did another change occur at Zhuo Qing Shan?"

He raised his head and looked forward. "Is there some kind of hidden connection between that so-called Jiuli secret realm and You Ning Lake and Zhuo Qing Shan?"

"This king is also perplexed," replied Zhang Luo.

Lei Jun listened more than he spoke from then on, quietly observing the changes.

During this process, Yuan Mobai, who had gone to Zicha Ling, also sent back news.

Although he had encountered some setbacks, he had found something that seemed to hold some profound mystery.

Lei Jun guessed that it was probably the third-grade opportunity mentioned in the first of the mid-upper lucky draws.

The lucky draw only mentioned the chance to obtain such an opportunity and did not guarantee it.

Especially since encounters could also differ from person to person.

The same opportunity falling into different hands could also result in completely different outcomes.

Fortunately, Yuan Mobai's trip had not been in vain, and he had not encountered any major accidents or dangers.

In contact with the Human Dao Nation's search for this object, Yuan Mobai also spoke of some profound mysteries, and Lei Jun guessed that it had something to do with the legendary Heavenly Gong Cao and the ancient Fulu School's legacy.

Thus, the probability of Yuan Mobai, as a high-achieving Fulu School wizard, returning empty-handed was somewhat smaller.

In the end, he had also successfully secured the opportunity.

Of course, the process had not been peaceful.

According to Yuan Mobai, there had indeed been activity from the Human Dao Nation in that area.

Moreover, there were rumors of Fu Dongsen's presence near Zicha Ling.

However, it was a pity that the Western Regions' Buddhist sect was currently keeping a close eye on them.

Master Jia Sheng was closely monitoring every move of the Human Dao Nation.

This Nine Heavens Master of the Buddhist Hand Seal lineage possessed both a strong mind and body, and his perception abilities were exceptional.

He had followed the trail and found the area near Zicha Ling, finally capturing Fu Dongsen's trace.

Thus, a great battle between the two experts, one from the Buddhist and the other from the Daoist sect, took place not far from Zicha Ling.

In terms of cultivation realm, Master Jia Sheng was superior.

But Fu Dongsen was already at the peak of the Octave Heaven apex in the Daoist School of Artifice, a perfect expert in the Immortal Roaming the Four Seas realm. Not only did he have his natal magic treasure with him, but he also possessed the Northern Underworld Divine Spear, one of the six great treasures of the Shu Mountain Sect.

As a magic treasure in the form of a weapon, the Northern Underworld Divine Spear's killing prowess was no less impressive than that of the Purple and Green Twin Swords. It had always been a powerful tool for the Shu Mountain Sect in battles.

With the Northern Underworld Divine Gun in hand, Fu Dongsen posed a threat that even Master Jia Sheng had to be cautious of.

With enemies surrounding him on all sides, Fu Dongsen did not dare to linger and quickly retreated with a feigned attack.

As for Zicha Ling, he could only give up on that front.

Yuan Mobai, on the other hand, reaped the benefits, safely acquiring the treasure from that location without any mishaps.

With the Western Regions' Buddhist sect confronting the Human Dao Nation, the focus of the Tang imperial family naturally shifted to the Jiuli tribe.

Soon, Officer Yunbo arrived at Zhuo Qing Shan.

Gazing at the black mist shrouding the mountains, he fell into deep thought.

Prince Zhang Luo of Xiang seemed to grasp his intention and asked, "Brother Shangguan, do you plan to venture inside and investigate?"

Not only did the black mist obstruct their vision, but it also interfered with the perception of cultivators.

Standing outside the mist, they could not discern the details within, so neither the Tang imperial family nor the people of the Nanhuang Witch Clan dared to take the risk of venturing deeper into the mist.

Previously, the black mist had expanded less or to a relatively limited extent, so everyone had mostly monitored and observed it from the outskirts as a safety precaution.

However, after the incidents at You Ning Lake and Zhuo Qing Shan, with the black mist wreaking havoc in the human realm one place after another, Officer Yunbo and the others could no longer afford to stand idly by.

"Indeed, I intend to do so," Officer Yunbo nodded.

"What are your thoughts on this, Your Highness?" he asked.

Instead of answering directly, Prince Zhang Luo countered with another question, "What about Mount Ge Po and the other sacred sites of the Witch Clan?"

Officer Yunbo replied, "Mount Ge Po has basically agreed, but Lun Hui Yuan and Yin Shan Dong are still hesitating."

Zhang Luo looked towards Zhuo Qing Shan and said, "Brother Shangguan, there's no need to rush. It wouldn't hurt to wait a few more days for General Ye's arrival and seek his opinion as well."

Officer Yunbo nodded, "Your Highness is right. Since Ye Wendong was killed in this incident, we should naturally consider the feelings of the Cangzhou Ye Clan."

Lei Jun stood quietly by, his expression as calm as a still lake.

Although Officer Yunbo and Prince Zhang Luo spoke politely, their actions were far from courteous.

While they claimed to consider the feelings of the Cangzhou Ye Clan, the members of the Ye Clan were far from grateful, with most of them cursing inwardly.

However, despite their curses, a large number of Ye Clan cultivators headed south to Nanhuang.

Leading them was a clad-in-armor old general with a refined demeanor but a tall and sturdy build, unmistakably a veteran of the military.

His name was Ye Morong, one of the top generals of the Divine Strategy Army of the Tang Dynasty and a leading military figure under General Shangguan Yunbo.

At the same time, he was also one of the elders of the Cangzhou Ye Clan and their representative in the Tang court.

He was not a martial artist but a Confucian divine archer who had reached the eighth level of the Nine Heavens, attaining the realm of a Confucian general who could 'open up frontiers and expand territories.'

The saying, "Noble families rule the world together with the Son of Heaven," rang true in every aspect.

Even though the noble families had maintained a relatively low profile in recent years, their influence remained profound in various fields.

Among the renowned Confucian scholars of the Tang Dynasty were four Nine Heavens great scholars: Ye Moquan, Chu Xiuyuan, Ye Yan, and Fang Jingsheng, who had broken through a couple of years ago. They were all Confucian scholars specializing in classical studies.

Therefore, Ye Morong, who had reached the eighth level of the Nine Heavens, could be considered one of the top experts of the Confucian divine archer lineage.

In addition, the second-in-command of the Qingzhou Ye Clan, Ye Jing, was also a top-notch divine archer and a veteran of the Divine Strategy Army.

These two men were the representatives of the noble families in the Tang military, echoing the influence of Fang Hezhou and Chu Lin in the court.

Due to the nature of their cultivation paths, the threats they posed sometimes surpassed their cultivation levels.

Apart from their personal prowess, Ye Morong and Ye Jing also held significant influence over the troops under their command.

Among their direct subordinates were not only descendants of the Ye Clan but also a large number of young disciples from minor and lesser families allied with them.

However, most of the time, the two men kept a low profile.

In the current environment, where noble families were biding their time and conserving their strength, Ye Morong's presence was even more understated.

Yet, no one would truly overlook him.

On the surface, however, everyone maintained the tacit understanding they had in the past.

This time, the Tang imperial family had a legitimate reason to dispatch Ye Morong and his direct subordinates to the south.

Considering the current environment of repairing relations between the noble families and the Tang imperial family, as well as investigating the death of the important clan elder, Ye Liang, Ye Morong had no choice but to make this trip.

Avoiding suspicion?

The Tang imperial family expressed that there was no need for that and that they had full trust in General Ye.

Having weathered many storms, Ye Morong remained unflustered, his expression unchanged. After arriving in Nanhuang, he first went to meet with Prince Zhang Luo of Xiang and General Shangguan Yunbo.

Only he knew whether he had cursed the heavens for this unforeseen calamity.

Officer Yunbo and Prince Zhang Luo did not intend to use Ye Morong and his troops as mere cannon fodder, lest they create more problems and provoke unnecessary changes.

They did not wish for a situation where the rebels multiplied the more they were suppressed, which was contrary to the wishes of the Tang imperial family.

Officer Yunbo and Zhang Luo simply didn't want the Cangzhou Ye Clan to remain idle while others fought.

With Ye Morong's arrival, Officer Yunbo planned to venture into the black mist covering Zhuo Qing Shan with him.

They immediately sprang into action.

Prince Zhang Luo stayed outside, responsible for coordinating and supporting them, as well as communicating with the other parties involved.

Yuan Mobai also arrived at the outskirts of Zhuo Qing Shan.

"Elder Yuan, you've worked hard," said Prince Zhang Luo. "I heard that there was news of the rebel Fu Dongsen near Zicha Ling?"

Yuan Mobai nodded, "Indeed. Master Jia Sheng of the Sumeru Vajra Department is currently pursuing him. I arrived a step too late and was unable to lend a hand, so I stayed in the Zicha Ling area to investigate."

"Oh?" Zhang Luo asked.

Zhen Mo Bai spoke with a sincere tone as he interacted with others, "I have gained some insights and may have discovered the reason for Fu Dongsen's appearance there. However, for now, it's just a clue, and with my shallow cultivation, I have yet to grasp the key points. I plan to send it back to the sect's headquarters and use the Myriad Laws Forum to refine it. Perhaps we can uncover more."

As he spoke, he handed a spiritual talisman to Lei Jun beside him, "Master will stay here to assist Your Highness, Zhong Yun. Take this talisman back to the mountain and ask the sect leader to decide."

Lei Jun took it and replied, "Yes, Master."

Zhang Luo looked at Yuan Mobai and then at Lei Jun, sighing, "Your honorable master and disciple have a bright future ahead. Your sect is truly blessed with talented individuals!"

Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun both expressed their gratitude.

"Your Highness has already heard of Lei Daoist's Heavenly Thunder, and now, hearing that Lei Daoist has refined a new law and image is truly admirable."

Zhang Luo said, "Your sect has added another great divine power and cause for celebration. From now on, the Nine Heavens Thunder, the Pure Yang Immortal Thunder, and the Xuanshao Immortal Thunder will be renowned together."

Lei Jun humbly replied, "Your Highness is too kind. These are but minor tricks, incomparable to the Nine Heavens Thunder of my sect and the Pure Yang Immortal Thunder of my sect leader."

"Lei Daoist is too modest," Zhang Luo smiled.

A red-robed monk from the Western Regions' Buddhist sect, named Zong Cuo, also smiled and congratulated Lei Jun.

He was not a local monk from the Vajra Temple of the Tang Dynasty but a high monk from the Vajra Department of Sumeru, one of the Eightfold Heavens, just like Sangjie and Longjia.

After the demise of Sangjie Shangren and Longjia Shangren, Zong Cuo Shangren was summoned by Jia Sheng Shangren and rushed over from the Western Regions to provide reinforcement.

Upon hearing about the appearance of the Jiuli black mist at Zhuo Qing Shan, he came as the representative of the Western Regions' Buddhist sect.

His expression remained unchanged, but he sighed in his heart.

While the Taoist traditions of this mortal realm had their issues, the talents of this generation from the Celestial Masters Mansion at Longhu Mountain were truly exceptional.

If they could successfully guide and convert Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, and Lei Jun to follow the Western path and take refuge in Buddhism, then this trip to Sumeru's return to the Tang world would not be in vain.

With the Body of Non-Duality, even with their special methods, the number of slots was extremely limited.

Of course, they had to use their best resources where they would have the most impact.

Unfortunately, the situation for the Western Regions' Buddhist sect in the Tang Dynasty had taken a turn for the worse, and they suddenly faced new adversaries.

In such circumstances, they couldn't afford to create more complications.

They had the strength, but if they exposed themselves too early, they would inevitably become the target of many, especially attracting the suspicion of the Tang royal family. What a pity, what a pity... Zong Cuo sighed in his heart.

How did Sangjie and Longjia end up in such a tragic situation?

Zong Cuo looked at Lei Jun for a while before finally averting his gaze, his thoughts unknown.

After receiving the spiritual talisman from Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun bid farewell to Yuan Mobai, Zhang Luo, and the others before leaving.

Before he departed, Yuan Mobai privately instructed him, "Zhong Yun, send me the secret mantra beads you recently obtained from the Interstellar Pre-Qin. Summarize the principles within and give me a copy."

Lei Jun replied, "Rest assured, Master. I have already prepared it."

He also passed a spiritual talisman to Yuan Mobai.

Yuan Mobai nodded slightly, "Be careful on your journey."

Instead of returning to the Longhu Mountain sect's headquarters and using the True One Law Forum derived from the Heavenly Master Seal, Lei Jun refined the spiritual talisman given to him by Yuan Mobai, which had a similar effect.

The master and disciple made this arrangement to facilitate Lei Jun's transition from the light back to the shadows.

He did not leave Nanhuang immediately but instead hid himself again to quietly observe the changes.

His fellow disciples from the sect, notified by him, pretended that Lei Daoist had already returned to the mountain.

However, Lei Jun, who remained in Nanhuang, was not idle. He found a safe and secluded place and used the True One Law Forum to refine the spiritual talisman given to him by Yuan Mobai.

The spiritual talisman glowed with a faint light, and within it, a dawn seemed to rise, but the aura was even more ethereal, as if it existed beyond the universe.

As the light converged, the spiritual talisman disappeared, replaced by an ancient-looking jade seal.

A faint golden light appeared on the jade seal, and the Taoist seal characters flowed naturally.

[Initial Yang Jade Seal]



Lei Jun was blessed with a keen mind, and the name of the jade seal immediately came to him.

Yuan Mobai had downplayed it before, but the treasure from Zicha Ling was indeed extraordinary.

Aside from being an exceptional spiritual object, Lei Jun, through his refinement with the True One Law Forum, was able to discern even more profound mysteries within it.

In Lei Jun's consciousness, a magnificent palace seemed to appear in his field of vision, towering above the clouds.

The stairs extending downward from the palace seemed like a tangible path to the heavens.

On the stairs, figures stood motionless, not ascending but instead bowing toward the heavenly palace above.

From a distance, figures also seemed to appear in the heavenly palace, returning the bow.

The entire scene exuded an orderly and solemn atmosphere.

Lei Jun frowned upon witnessing this.

An ancient treasure from the Heavenly Palace? However, the vision was merely an illusion, and its authenticity paled in comparison to the split Heavenly Palace seal.

While it may hold significant value for the human realm and the Dao Nation, its worth to Lei Jun, a cultivator, lay primarily in the Initial Yang Jade Seal itself.

It was difficult to gather further clues about the people of the Human Dao Nation.

It could be used as bait to lure them out, but for now, Fu Dongsen and the others were being too low-key and cautious, no longer taking the initiative to show themselves.

Perhaps later, if we're speaking frankly, this spiritual object might be more useful to another person... Lei Jun mused.

Hiding in the shadows, he kept a close eye on the current situation in Nanhuang.

However, the situation ahead was slightly more stable than before.

Shangguan Yunbo and Ye Morong joined forces to investigate the Jiuli black mist beneath Zhuo Qing Shan, eventually clashing head-on with the Jiuli experts.

With the Bandit Subduing Golden Spear in hand, Shangguan Yunbo and Ye Morong worked together and managed to escape unscathed.

Although they were unable to inflict any injuries on the Jiuli expert, Shangguan Yunbo and Ye Morong gained a lot more intelligence about the black mist and the Earth-Sea Rift.

The Jiuli did not make any further expansions.

For the time being, both sides fell into a stalemate, mostly testing each other's strengths.

After his brief appearance at Zicha Ling, Fu Dongsen once again disappeared without a trace.

The people of the Human Dao Nation dared not reveal themselves easily.

Jia Sheng Shangren, Zong Cuo Shangren, and other high monks from the Western Regions' Buddhist sect kept a close watch on them.

The White Lotus Sect and the Blood River Sect also remained in hiding.

"Zhong Yun, there's no need to worry. It's beneficial for me to stay in Nanhuang, and it won't cause any harm," Yuan Mobai privately told Lei Jun. "During this period, as I come into contact with the people of the Human Dao Nation, I've gained some insights and have been slowly accumulating them."

Lei Jun said, "Since I've decided to return to the mountain, I might as well leave the Heavenly Master's Seal with you. In case of any changes, the Heavenly Master's Sword can also be sent over at the first opportunity."

Yuan Mobai said, "That's not necessary. The foundation of our sect is the priority, and if possible, it's best that none of the Three Treasures of the Heavenly Master leave the mountain."

He paused slightly, and the smile on his face faded, his expression turning serious. "If the Human Dao Nation wants to succeed, relying solely on the Huangtian Zongtan is probably not enough."

Lei Jun nodded in agreement.

If they lacked sufficient information before, now that they had interacted more, both Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun had a deeper understanding of the Human Dao Nation.

Whether it was the previously destroyed Zongtan in the East China Sea or the new Huangtian Zongtan in Western Sichuan, compared to the grand plans of the Human Dao Nation, their foundations seemed rather weak.

Especially now that the Huangtian Dao was weak and lacked manpower.

And the ultimate goal of Fu Dongsen, Rong Guangchen, and the others was built upon the foundation of the ancient Fulu School's traditions.

So, they inevitably couldn't completely set aside the current Daoist Fulu School.

If they couldn't rely on the Huangtian Zongtan, what could they rely on?

Undoubtedly, it had to be the Longhu Ancestral Court, the Wanfa Zongtan!

The next best alternative was not the Huangtian Zongtan.

It was the Zhenyi Fatan.

In other words, the Heavenly Master's Seal.

Unfortunately, no matter how many speculations there were, the current confirmed information was that the Heavenly Master's Seal had been lost for many years and had not resurfaced.

When it briefly appeared near Longhu Mountain in the past, it was probably the best opportunity for the Human Dao Nation.

Unfortunately, the treasure seal came and went in a hurry, catching them off guard.

The attacker of Li Qingfeng was pursued by Xu Yuanzhen far away from Longhu Mountain.

Since then, there has been no news of the Heavenly Master's Seal, leaving Fu Dongsen and the others disappointed.

Their next best choice was to seek the Heavenly Master's Robe during the Li Wai War.

"Master's words are extremely true. I will be more vigilant," Lei Jun bid farewell to Yuan Mobai and secretly returned to the mountain gate ancestral court.

When Lei Jun mentioned his experiences during this trip, Tang Xiaotang was delighted: "Those Western barbarians really deserve it!"

Lei Jun: "The Buddhist monks lacked some luck."

Tang Xiaotang glanced at him sideways: "They lacked luck because you sucked it all out of them."

Lei Jun shook his head repeatedly: "According to the Buddhist teachings, it's all about cause and effect."

Tang Xiaotang snorted: "I'm not sure what exactly they're up to, but they're definitely not good people!"

Her thoughts jumped around a lot, and she suddenly got up and circled around Lei Jun a few times.

Lei Jun: "Little Senior Sister?"

Tang Xiaotang: "It seems like something is a bit off..."

"Little Senior Sister has a keen sense of perception, I admire that." Lei Jun then asked, "Little Senior Sister, what do you think of Senior Sister Tang's natural spiritual roots?"

Tang Xiaotang: "I've mentioned it before, it's good, of course. But it's not the only one of its kind."

Lei Jun nodded: "The spiritual roots have the purity of stillness, and the root bones have the Dao body above the immortal body. However, nowadays, it's only seen in ancient books and is almost legendary, so most people in the world are unaware and don't discuss it."

Tang Xiaotang looked at Lei Jun and suddenly smiled: "You've been improving through hard work all this time, so you naturally know that although some things are rare, they're not entirely impossible. If your root bones improve further and achieve the Dao body, what do you think it would be like?"

"Taiji."

Lei Jun replied calmly.

He had specifically studied the relevant ancient books in detail.

Accordingly, he had also studied Tang Xiaotang's situation.

Although there were no precedents, Lei Jun could now roughly figure out some connections through his own cultivation and understanding of the heavens.

If Tang Xiaotang's Pure Yang Xian body further improved, it would most likely not be the same as his Taiji Dao body, nor would it follow the path of Yin and Yang harmony.

The greater possibility was...

"Taichu." Tang Xiaotang gave the answer herself.

Just as Lei Jun had guessed.

PS: 6k chapter

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end